The Dance
by chelseabsb93
Summary: Matthew wants to show how much he loves Destiny and their baby by surprising her with the best night of her life.
1. Chapter 1: The Idea

The Dance

new character: Claire Thornhart (Cole's long lost sister that came to town her sophomore year/cole's senior year of high school)

After Destiny bitched him out on national television, Matthew realized what an ass he'd been to her. Not just about the baby, but about everything. Every time the two would get close, he pulled the best friend card. He never meant to do it, he was just scared. He could not put his feelings out there the way Destiny did, especially after what happened with Dani. If it didn't work, he would not only lose the only woman he truly loved, but he would also lose the best friend he ever had. Des new these risks and was still willing to show her true feelings. He knew he had to do something to make it up to her, something big. He needed something to make up for about 3 years of hurt feelings.

The next day, he decided to ask the advice of his other best friend, Cole's sister Claire. Even though Claire had started college and become the star of LU's dirtboarding team, she made sure to keep in touch with all her high school besties.

Just finishing up practice, she grabbed her board and was about to head back to the locker room when she saw Matthew sitting on the bleachers. She took her helmet off as he walked towards her.

"Hey! There's Llanview High's best dirtboarder! Now that you're out of your coma are you going to board again?" Claire asked.

"If my parents let me, they've been really strict since I came back." Matt replied.

"Well you know whether you board at LHS or not, you are still being recruited for a spot on the LU team." Claire assured him. Looking at his face she could tell he wasn't there to talk boarding. "Something on your mind?"

"It's Destiny. I screwed up big time and I need to do something big to fix it, I'm just not sure what." Matthew said.

"Something big huh." Claire said as she put her arm around his shoulder. "Let me just put my board and gear away and then we'll talk." She continued as she led him into the sports center of LU.

As he waited for Claire to return, he stared at all the posters on the walls. One specific poster caught his eye. It was for the dirtboard team's winter wonderland dance. Seeing that poster reminded him of prom. He didn't spend either prom with the girl he wanted to spend them with.

Claire returned, noticing Matthew looking at the dance poster. "Thinking about coming to the dance?"

"I thought only students were allowed at school events?" Matthew asked.

"This is a very special dance. The dirtboard team uses this dance as a way for the recruits to get to know the kids already on the team, in hopes that they'll decide to board for LU. We can't exactly call it a recruitment dance because it's against school policy." Claire explained.

"So you find a way to bend the rules to make them work for you." Matthew said, slightly disapprovingly.

"Hey, whatever gets us more and better boarders! Are you in or not?"

Just then, it hit him. This was that big something he needed to prove his love to Destiny. Claire saw his face and knew exactly what he was thinking.

"You're going to bring Destiny."

"I'd kind of like to surprise her. Can you help me?" Matthew asked.

"Absolutely, but I think we're going to need a lot more help if you want to do this up right." Claire said.


	2. Chapter 2: The Plan

Matthew agreed that they couldn't handle this big surprise on their own. They needed help.

Claire said, "I have an idea. Let's see if we can get Dani to help us. I know she isn't your most favorite person in the world, but she is Des's best friend and will want to be a part of this. I'll call her. Meet us at the Buenos Dias in 10."

Matthew left, and Claire called Dani. She loved the idea and agreed to meet with them to talk about it.

At the Buenos Dias, Dani, Matt, and Claire sat and talked about how to tackle such a big surprise.

"Ok, so what do we need?" Dani asked.

"Tickets for the dance, an adorable dress, cute comfy shoes, perfect hair, oh and of course her date!" Claire says as she looks at Matthew. "I can get you guys the tickets."

"I can talk to Mr. and Mrs. Evans about the dress and shoes." Dani continued the conversation.

"Wait! What about transportation to the dance… and should I get her flowers, or jewelry, or something!" Matthew exclaimed nervously, wanting everything to be perfect for his girl.

"Matthew, you're in charge of that; not the transportation, but the extras. We'll figure out the transportation later." Dani said, trying to calm his nerves.

"Ok, so we all know what we have to do. Let's make Friday night the best night of Destiny's life." Claire said, as if she was coaching a football team to victory.


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations

**Another new character: Mac Underwood (Claire's boyfriend rom back home, Roxy calls him Mac Attack)**

They all left the Buenos Dias; Matthew went in one direction, while Claire and Dani went in the other. As they walked through Angel Square, Dani said, "This is probably the sweetest thing Matthew has ever done. I hope everything works out perfectly for my best friend. She deserves it. I just wish I could see her face as she dances with Matthew for the first time."

"What do you mean wish? You're not going?" Claire asked.

"Isn't it for dirtboard recruits only?" Dani asked.

"Yeah, which includes you…and Nate." Claire told her.

Hearing that she could go made Dani very excited. It made her even happier to know that Nate could go too. Now that they are getting their relationship back on track, she knew how much this night would mean to Nate. Still, she knew no matter how much it meant to them, it would mean so much more to Matthew, and especially Destiny.

Just then, Claire remembered a very important part of the plan. "The hair…I can't believe I almost forgot!" she exclaimed.

Dani said, "Why don't we ask Roxy? Her and Des are tight so I'm sure she'll help us."

"Great idea! Oh hey, Roxy's salon is right here! Let's go!" Claire said, beginning to watch her plan come together.

Dani and Claire walked into Foxy Roxy's and saw Rama giving a manicure.

"Hey Rama, is Roxy here?" Claire asked.

"We need to ask her something very important." Dani said.

They heard Roxy come around the corner and say "Is that my besties two best girls?"

"Hey Roxy!" Claire and Dani said in unison.

"What can I do for ya?" Roxy asked.

Claire explained, " There's a dance at school this Friday."

Before she could finish, Roxy interrupted, "Let me guess, you want me to make your hair look all pretty for your boy toy. Is Mac Attack your date?"

Claire stopped her before she got to off track. "Yes Roxy, Mac is coming down to be my date, but I'm not here for me. I'm here for Destiny."

Claire continued to explain Matthew's idea to surprise Destiny. The more she explained the bigger smile Roxy had on her face.

"AAWW, this is the cutest thing ever. Love is in the air. First Rex and Gigi, then Johnny Boy and Natty, now my little Destiny will have her chance. I would love to do her hair for her special night."

Hugging Roxy, both girls said, "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this will mean to her."

"I'll meet you guys at Destiny's house Friday night." Roxy said as the girls walked out the door.

Dani said, "I just texted Des's mom, and she said she wants to go shopping with me for the shoes and dress."

"Alright, have fun. Text me pics once you guys decide." Claire said.

Claire left to go back to her apartment. She tried avoiding it as much as possible; it was so empty now that both her mother and brother were gone. What made her happy was knowing that her place would be filled with all her closest friends on Friday night.

-vvv-

Dani met Mrs. Evans at _Twinkle_, Llanview's number one place for dresses. They knew they needed something pretty that would look amazing on a girl who was ready to pop at any minute. If it wasn't stunning, Matthew wouldn't like it and Des wouldn't wear it.

As they looked through the dresses, one specific dress caught their eye. It was a beautiful, short white dress. The knee length dress was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. The beading on the bust went perfectly with the flowiness of the toule bottom. What made this dress even more perfect was that it was the only one of its kind, and it was in Destiny's size.

They bought the dress, and then moved on to the shoes. At first they were thinking of a cute pair of heels, but they didn't think it was a good idea. Dani was supposed to text Claire with pics anyway, so she added a question about the heels.

Claire replied within seconds: OMG! It's beautiful! Des is gonna love it! and heels…r u insane, Des's ankles r probs swollen up like watermelons, and u wanna squish them into heels! try a pair of cute little sneakers, like converses. that way it'll look good with the dress, and Des will be comfy.

After reading the text, Dani and Mrs. Evans understood. Heels would look cute, but comfort is what Destiny needs. They decided to buy a cute pair of white low top converses to go with the white dress.

The dress, shoes, hair, and tickets were all taken care of. Now it was up to Matthew to add the final touches.

-vvv-

Matthew was standing in the jewelry store, admiring all it had to offer; wishing he could buy the whole store for Destiny. For now, he was just looking for that special something that would truly showed how he felt about her, and their baby.

"Can I help you?" asked the man behind the counter.

Matthew said, "I need something that says I love you and I want to be with you and our baby."

"Baby? Aren't you a little young to be having a baby?" The man asked very judgmentally.

Before, Matthew would've been hurt by the comment. Now he sees this baby as the miracle that brought him and Destiny together.

"Just show me what you got." Matthew said slightly annoyed.

"Alright. Let's see what we have." said the man.

He pulled out a few pairs of earrings and some bracelets, but nothing seemed right. Matthew wanted this gift to be perfect.

"What about this?" the man asked as he pulled out a necklace.

It was beautiful. It had a silver chain and the heart shaped stone was the color of their baby's birthstone. Matthew knew this would be the necklace that would put this special night over the top.

"That's the one!" Matthew said with excitement in his voice.

The jeweler put the necklace in a velvet box as Matt gave him the money for it.

With Matthew's part done, everything was ready for Friday night. Now all that was left was to make sure this surprise went perfectly. Matthew would never forgive himself if it failed.


	4. Chapter 4: The Big Surprise

**New place in town: Llantano Villa (banquet hall the college uses for all their dances/banquets)**

It was Friday morning, and everyone was excited for the evening's events. Matthew got ready for school, hoping the day would fly by so he could be one step closer to seeing his love's face when she received her surprise.

At lunch, Dani did something she doesn't normally do; she sat with Matthew. He was telling Shane all about is big plan for tonight. Shane was happy to finally see Matthew accepting the fact that he belonged with Destiny; a fact that everyone else on the planet had known since the moment the two met.

"Ok, so the pre-party starts at 7 at Capricorn. From there the party bus is bringing everyone at the party to the Llantano Villa for the dance at 8. Claire gave me the tickets before her first class this morning." Dani continued, "Mrs. Evans has the dress and the shoes at her house, doing her best to keep them out of Destiny's sight until tonight. I figure we get you to Des's by 5:30, maybe a bit before, have Roxy get there at 5:45 to do her hair and help her get ready. Roxy should be done by 6:30, so that'll give us 15 minutes to take pictures and 15 minutes travel time. Did you get anything special for Des?"

Normally Matthew hated how organized Dani was, but today, he loved it.

He replied as he pulled out the box, "Got it right here!"

Dani saw the necklace and said, "It's so cute, Des will love it!"

He stuck the box back in his bag. "Hopefully everything goes perfectly."

"It will, and even if something does go wrong, Des will see how much effort you put into this and will love you for it." Shane added, trying to make Matthew see that she'd love him no matter what.

-VVV-

Claire was at her apartment getting ready when she heard a knock on the door. It was Dani. She looked so cute in her little teal cocktail dress with the matching shimmery heels.

"Nate will be here soon. You almost done?" Dani asked as she came in.

"Just need to find my shoes." Claire replied.

"Looking for these." Dani heard a very familiar voice.

Mac was standing in Claire's bedroom doorway, holding a pair of green sandal heels.

"Thanks baby!" Claire said, kissing her man.

"Mac! When did you get here?" Dani exclaimed, hugging Mac as Claire put the shoes on to match her dark green single shoulder dress. Mac loved the way that dress looked on her, especially the bottom. The angled cut of the dress made her legs look great, and the flowy ruffles gave her the look of a ballroom dancer.

"I got here this morning." Mac replied.

"Your boyfriend got here this morning and you didn't think it was important to tell me." Dani scolded Claire jokingly.

"I didn't want you to be so enthusiastic about Mac that Des's surprise wouldn't be as important." Claire explained.

"Claire, the only way I could be any less enthused is if Des decided to go with someone else."

"Don't even say that?" Claire exclaimed.

Just then, Nate walked in. "Don't say what?" He asked as he hugged Dani.

"That Destiny will go tonight, but with someone else." Mac said, holding Claire in his arms.

"Please don't…if that happens I'll never hear the end of it. I was the reason Matthew couldn't show her how he felt months ago. If tonight doesn't go well for Matthew I will feel even worse than I already do." Nate said.

Everyone knew tonight needed to be perfect, not just for Destiny, but for Matthew as well.

Claire's phone buzzed, and on the screen was a text from Bo.

It read: _Just a small gift from Red and me, go downstairs to get it._

"Bo just sent me a text saying there's a gift downstairs from him and Nora." Claire told the group.

"Let's go see what it is!" Dani said, grabbing her purse and heading out the door. Nate, Claire, and Mac soon followed.

Downstairs, the doorman gave Claire an envelope. In the envelope was a letter.

She read the letter aloud, "Your gift is waiting for you outside. Hope you guys have fun, but not too much fun. See you in a few. Bo and Nora."

When they all walked outside, they saw the limo pull up. The limo driver got out, opened the door, and said, "You guys ready to have some fun!"

"Not too much!" They all laughed as they got into the limo.

On their way to pick up Matthew, Dani realized she forgot something.

"I forgot to bring my overnight bag for our "after party"!" Dani exclaimed.

"Uh oh, me too." Nate added.

"No problem, I'll just have Nigel pick them up from your houses and bring them to my place." Claire said casually. "He's picking up Matt's and Des's anyway."

"Thanks." They said in unison as the limo pulled up to Bo and Nora's apartment building.

-VVV-

Matthew looked at himself in the mirror. Black shoes, black pants, black short sleeve button down, white tie. His hair was done the way he knew Des liked it. He felt like a million bucks.

"Lookin good son." Bo said, giving his son the thumbs up of approval.

"Thanks dad."

"Oh my baby boy is going to his first college party." Nora gushed.

"Mom!" Matthew said, wishing his mother could be less corny. "My friends are downstairs, I gotta go."

"Alright. Just be sure to take lots of pictures." Nora said.

Bo added as Matthew walked out the door, "Tell Destiny we said hi!"

He walked downstairs, and was thrilled to see a limo out front. Once he got in, he saw his friends Claire and Mac sitting there, along with Nate and Dani.

"How did we get a limo?" He asked.

"Gift from your parents." Claire said.

Matthew immediately took out his phone and texted his parents: _THANK YOU!_

Soon, they would be at the Evan's, and his surprise would be in full swing. He could wait to see Destiny…and tell her how much she really meant to him.

-VVV-

Des sat comfortably on the couch wearing her soft puffy bathrobe, sweats, and her favorite slippers. In the middle of watching reruns of her favorite show, Fraternity Row, she heard a knock at the door. It took all her strength just to get off the couch, but once she was up, she went to the door to see who it was. Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Shaun, and Vivian, all eavesdropped from the other room as they heard the door open.

"Matthew?" Des said, still slightly mad at him.

"Yeah. I have something to tell you. Can I come in?" He asked.

"Whatever." She let him in, "Why are you all dressed up?"

"I'm going to the winter wonderland dance Llanview University is having."

"Oh so you're starting your college girl search early I see." Des replied angrily.

"No. I'm going to show all of those girls that I'll be dancing with the most beautiful girl there. That is, if she'll go with me." Matthew said, giving Des the smile that always makes her heart race whenever she sees it.

When Des realized he was talking about her, she replied, "I thought me and the baby were holding you back from living your life."

"You and our baby are my life…and I wouldn't want it any other way."

Matthew hugged Destiny, and then the two shared a passionate kiss.

"Matthew, I can't go with you. I have nothing to wear. The only dresses I own are from before I was pregnant." Des complained.

"Yes you do. Check your room." Mrs. Evans said as she came out of hiding.

As Destiny was about to go check her room, Roxy barged in.

"Where's my cute little snow princess?" She asked.

"Roxy, what are you doing here?" Destiny asked, shocked and confused as to what was going on.

"I'm here to help you get ready. My best girl needs to look perfect for her perfect night." She replied.

"Everything you need is in her room." Shaun said, also coming out of hiding.

"What the hell is going on?" Des asked as Roxy dragged her up the stairs to her room.

As Matthew waited for her downstairs, the rest of the gang came inside.

"Where's Des?" Dani asked, concerned as to the outcome of the night.

"She's upstairs with Roxy getting ready." Viv said reassuringly.

Matthew paced back and forth the entire time Des was upstairs. He just wanted her to hurry up and come back so he could see how beautiful she looked. He pictured in his mind what she would look like, and in every image she was stunning. Then he turned around and saw her at the top of the stairs. She was even prettier than in his thoughts. Her white dress made her look like an angel, and the small snowflake clip Roxy used in her hair to accent the flowing curls glistened as if to be the halo above her head. As she glided down the stairs, Matthew's heart raced. In his mind, everything was in slow motion, and him and Des were the only two in the room.

He walked over to her, held her hand, and said, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she gave him a hug, "for everything."

Roxy explained everything as she helped Des get ready. Matthew was the one who planned all of this.

"One more thing." Matthew said as he reached in his pocket.

"Matthew, you didn't need to do anything else, this surprise was enough." Des said.

"Just look." He said, opening the long velvet box, showing the necklace inside.

"Matthew…it's beautiful." Des said, awestruck by the necklace.

"Here, let me." Matthew said as he took it out of the box.

"Why is there a red stone in it?" Des asked as Matthew put the chain around her neck.

He clipped the chain, and moved his hand onto Des's stomach, "It's our baby's birthstone."

She was thrilled that he was not only thinking of her, but their baby too. "It's perfect."

Des leaned on Matthew, who had her fully wrapped in his arms. She laced her fingers through his, already placed on her stomach; feeling the baby move under the beautiful white dress. The two locked eyes, and he said something he had wanted to say for 3 years, "I love you."

The two immediately kissed. In both of their minds, this was the way it was supposed to be, and it took them way too long to get to this point.

After lots of pictures, the gang was on their way to what was going to be the best night of their lives.


	5. Chapter 5: The PreParty

As the couples arrived at Capricorn, excitement filled the air.

"From what I've heard around school, this party is supposed to be huge!" Nate said.

"I heard the talent tonight is gonna be amazing." Matthew added.

"I heard that too." Dani asked, "Hey Claire, you're on the team, do you know who's gonna be here tonight?"

"Just some old friends." Claire said. She still had a few surprises left up her sleeve.

The doors to Capricorn opened, and the six walked in.

Claire was right. They did see some old friends.

"Llanview, what it do." said a very familiar voice. They turned around to see Snoop Dogg approaching them.

"SNOOP!" the group said in excitement.

"What are you doing here?" Dani asked.

"Shauny Shaun Evans asked me to come, and I can't say no to my east coast connection."

Then he looked over and saw Matthew. "There's my playa from the Himalayas." Snoop shook his hand and gave him a hug, "Still got those two dimes?"

"Nope, just one dime." Matthew said as he put his arm around Destiny.

"Kid Buchanan and Lil D, together at last." Snoop said with a big smile on his face. "And it looks like you've been all kinds of together."

All three look at her stomach, and Matt and Des giggle as their hands meet on her belly.

"It wasn't exactly planned…" Des said.

"but we wouldn't have it any other way." Matthew finished as he kissed Des on the cheek.

"Oh boy, the women of the world better watch their backs, there's a new Lil Playa in town." Snoop laughed. "Lil D, Kid Buchanan, and Lil Playa…Llanview's next superstar family."

As the two pondered the thought of truly being this superstar family, one of the boarders on the team, Damen, announced for Snoop to perform.

Snoop told the group, "I gotta go show these guys what a beautiful thing really is, I'll hook up with you guys latah…fo shizzle."

-VV-

"LLANVIEW WHAT IT DO! This one goes out to my east coast crew." Snoop said to the crowd.

He performed Gangsta Luv, then introduced Far East Movement to do OMG!. Everyone was dancing and having a blast. Then another surprise guest showed up. Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls appeared on stage to sing Buttons with Snoop. After Snoop left, she stayed to perform her hits, Right There and Don't Hold Your Breath.

In the middle of Don't Hold Your Breath, the gang wondered why Claire had left to go backstage. It didn't take them long to find out. After Nicole finished, she said, "I'd like to introduce a very special friend of mine. I'm sure most of you know her, but many of you have never seen this side of her. Give it up for Claire."

Claire walked on stage, no longer wearing her pretty dress, but rather a glittery green tank top and black dressy booty shorts.

"I'd like to dedicate this next song to the most beautiful couple in the room. Matt and Des, this one's for you." Claire said, waiting for the music to play.

The music started, and Claire began singing.

"I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me, I still feel your touch in my dreams…" she sang. Everyone knew it was Cascada's Every Time We Touch. She hopped off stage and started dancing with the crowd. When she went back on stage, she brought Mac with her. As she sang the lyrics, she danced with him, as if she was singing just for him, the lyrics being the true words of how she felt about him.

Matthew and Destiny danced together, thinking the exact same thing about those lyrics. Those lyrics explained all the feelings they'd be too afraid to express publically for years. From that point on, Every Time We Touch would be their song.

Claire went backstage, put her dress back on, and went back to her group with another friend in tow.

"Hey guys." Nicole said to Claire's friends. "I remember you." She said, staring at Matthew. "I was your date to prom a few years back."

Matthew remembered the night like it was yesterday. He was still confined to his wheelchair, Justin and Becca were making fun of him, and Des brought her cousin as her date. Not exactly a night he'd like to remember.

"I see a lot's changed since then, and I think some congratulations are in order." she continued.

Everyone thought she was talking about the baby, but she surprised them by saying, "Congrats on getting out of the chair and getting back on your feet. You look much cuter standing up, but you were already a little heart breaker."

"Not anymore." he said, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. "I don't plan on breaking any more hearts."

"So I should also congratulate you on finally being with your one true love." Even Nicole saw it. From meeting them that one night a few years ago, she could still tell they were meant to be.

The pre-party was officially over, and Nicole and Snoop came over to give the couples goodbye hugs. "Hope the dance is as fun as the pre-party." Nicole said.

Snoop added, "Kid Buchanan, you take care of Lil D, otherwise you'll have enemies on both coasts."

"I will." Matthew said.

The couples all walked out of Capricorn, all headed to the next step in this big adventure; the dance.


	6. Chapter 6: The Dance

The party bus was poppin. The radio was blaring and everyone was dancing and having a great time. Since Claire was friends with most of the upperclassmen on the team, they allowed her and her crew to join them on the junior/senior bus. The boarders on this bus would be seniors next year, so the recruits could learn a lot from them.

As Claire's crew was dancing, some of the other boarders started staring at them.

"Is that the wheelchair kid?" Damen asked Claire.

"I thought he was in a coma?" Chase, another boarder, asked.

Everyone on the team wanted to know the whole story, so Claire explained the best she could.

"He was in a wheelchair. But you see the girl he's with; her brother/father got him out of it. Once he was out, things went back to normal, but not for long. See Nate over there, his dad blackmailed his mom into getting with Matthew's dad, while his dad kidnapped Matthew's mom. All that caused Matt to snap, so he tried shooting Nate's dad, only he never did. He believed for months that he did, and that's how him and his date got together. Two days after they hooked up, Nate found out what Matt "did" and decked him for it. That's how he ended up in the coma."

"And now he's awake and is going to be a father?" One of the boarders asked.

"Yeah, at first he kinda freaked out, but now he's totally into it, and her." Claire continued.

"He's been through a lot for being so young. How has he handled it?" Damen asked.

"Why don't you guys ask them, I mean isn't this dance for getting to know the recruits, well here's your chance." Claire told the team.

She called her friends over and introduced them to the team. Once the introductions were made, the team started asking them a million questions about their pasts. At first, they were unsure of how to answer. They didn't want the team to think any differently of them, but once they started telling their stories, they realized how many people on the team were similar to them. Two of the junior girls on the team had kids when they were in high school. One of the guys used to be a porn star. A few of the kids were even stuck in boarding schools until they went to college. Matthew especially liked hearing how the boarders overcame their different injuries they received when dirtboarding.

-VVV-

The bus arrived at the dance, and instead of everyone separating into boarders and recruits, like they had done at the pre-party, they all blended together. You couldn't tell a boarder from a recruit. Everyone was just there to have a good time and get to know each other, that's all that mattered.

Who they came with didn't really matter either. Everybody was just dancing with everybody.

"Wanna dance?" Chase asked Dani.

Dani looked over to Nate, who said, "Go ahead."

Dani left Nate's side to join Chase and his friends on the dance floor. Just then, Nate felt a tap on his shoulder. One of Chase's friends, Cassie, asked him to dance. The two met up with Chase's friends, creating a huge group of people; including Destiny, who was dancing and laughing with the girls were also teen moms.

Matthew was happy to see Des having such a good time, even if it wasn't him dancing with her. He decided to go find Mac and Claire. Mac was talking with some of the guys on the team, while Claire was dancing with some of the other girls.

"You havin a good time?" Mac asked Matthew.

"I guess so. I'm just glad Des is having fun." Matthew said.

"That's all that matters. That's why I'm here." Mac said.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked.

"I hate getting dressed up and going to these things, but Claire loves them. I do it for her." Mac explained.

At that point, Matthew realized good boyfriends weren't selfish, which is exactly what he was. It wasn't enough for him to give Des this night; he had to give her every night. He had to put her needs, and their baby's, ahead of his own.

Just as he had this revelation, the DJ said, "Alright guys, time to grab that special lady and bring her on the dance floor."

As the couples hit the dance floor, Des wondered where Matthew was. Then, she felt his hand on her stomach. She turned around, and saw his amazing smile.

"May I have this dance?" He asked.

She took his hand, the same way she had almost 9 months before, but this time with more confidence. He led her to the dance floor, where he wrapped his arms around her waist. With her hands around this neck, she laid her head on his chest, knowing this was the way her life was meant to be. As they danced, Matthew could feel his child kicking against his stomach. It felt increbible, knowing he loved Destiny, and Destiny loved him, and that they created a child out of that love.

The couples continued dancing as Mac whispered into Claire's ear, "I know this night was supposed to be about Matt and Des, but I couldn't resist getting you something. Just a little surprise."

As she wondered what he was talking about, she heard the most amazing sound in the world. She turned around to see the Backstreet Boys, her favorite band, singing "I'll Never Break Your Heart." She kissed Mac to thank him. Then the DJ said, "Give it up for the Backstreet Boys."

All the couples watched and danced together as they sang some of their slower hits. Then the boys came off of the mini stage to get a few lucky girls to bring back up with them. Every girl there had a crush on the Backstreet Boys, whether anyone else knew it or not. They all wanted to be that girl that got pulled on stage.

Howie started singing "What Makes You Different", as he searched for the perfect girl. He found that girl in Dani. To him, she was beautiful in every way. AJ found his girl in Destiny; her spunky attitude is what made her perfect. As Brian made his pick, Nick snuck over and stole the hand, and the heart, of Claire. She was so ecstatic; the one she had the biggest crush on had picked her. She left Mac's side to join the other girls on stage.

Sitting on stage, the Backstreet Boys began serenading them; making each of them feel as if they were the only girl in the room. Each girl got a different song, sung to only them as the rest of the crowd watched in awe.

When it was Destiny's turn, the boys looked at Matthew, and then back at Des. They knew the perfect song; "How Did I Fall In Love With You". As they sang the song, Des couldn't take her eyes off Matthew. When they finished, they escorted her back to Matthew and said, "He was the one that picked out the song."

She couldn't say a word; she just kept staring into Matthew's eyes. The only thing she could think to do was kiss him, so that's exactly what she did. She kissed him like she had never kissed him before. For that moment, the world seemed to revolve around them. Everyone stared at them as if they were just crowned prom king and queen. Their lips unlocked, and they saw everyone staring. Normally they would both pretend like it never happened, but this time, they laughed together, and then went back in for seconds. Everyone cheered at first, but gradually went on with their lives. The two were happy they no longer had to hide their feeling for each other. They were in love and wanted the whole world to know it.

The dance ended just as fast as it began, and everyone was getting ready to leave. The boarders all said goodbye to the recruits, except for those that took a recruit home with them. As they said their goodbyes, they all told the recruits to come to the school's dirtboard competition the following morning. The boarders wanted to show the recruits that they work just as hard as they play.

Damen and Chase walked over to Claire's group and said, "Hope to see you guys there tomorrow."

They all replied, "Wouldn't miss it!"

Both groups hugged as the limo Bo and Nora got the kids pulled up. The men helped the ladies into the limo, and then got in themselves. Once the driver shut the door, they all relaxed, knowing they were going over Claire's place, where they didn't have to be all dressed up and could be more themselves.


	7. Chapter 7: The After Party

The guys were barely in the limo when the ties started coming off. They all hated them and were glad to see them gone. The girls saw the guys taking off their ties and figured if they could take off the ties, they would take off their shoes. Both Claire and Dani felt extremely relieved when they took their shoes off. Des, on the other hand, was having trouble reaching her feet. Her ever growing baby belly was getting in the way.

"Need some help?" Matthew asked, sliding closer to Des.

"Thanks." Des put both feet in Matthew's lap, and he began untying her cute little white shoes.

The shoes were no sooner off then Des was in his arms. She felt safe there; as long as she was in his arms, she knew both her, and their baby, would be protected. That is how they spent the rest of the limo ride back to Claire's. All the girls were in the arms of the men they loved.

When the limo pulled up to the building, the driver opened the door, and the teens got out. The girls reluctantly put their shoes back on and walked inside, except for Destiny. She had barely taken three steps out of the limo when Matthew scooped her up in his arms.

"Allow me." Matthew said once she was safely in his arms.

"Are you sure you can lift me? You know I'm not as light as I used to be since you knocked me up." Destiny giggled.

"Des, when I was in rehab I made sure to give my upper body an extra workout…just for this reason." Matthew smiled back. "Besides, you've been on your feet all night; they've got to be killing you."

Everyone loved this new Matthew, especially Des. As she was cradled in his arms, she pictured him carrying her over the threshold after their wedding. While it wasn't exactly their wedding night; it came pretty close.

Matthew carried Destiny from the lobby, onto the elevator, then all the way up to Claire's apartment. Once inside, he carefully placed her on the couch, as to not cause any harm to her or their baby. The other couples joined them in the living room, and then Claire explained how the night would go.

"Now I know you all have either almost or already slept together…" Claire started as the grouped laughed. "so staying in the same bed as your date shouldn't be a problem; and if it is, well then ladies make your man sleep on the couch." The group continued laughing at Claire's remarks.

"Dani, since your Starr's sister, I trust you and Nate to have Cole's room." Claire said. Nobody was allowed in that room since Cole went to prison, except for family. Dani felt kind of special knowing Claire considered her family enough to give her her brother's room.

"Des, since I'll be in my room, and Dani has Cole's room, you and Matt can take my mom's room. That actually works out better for you because my mom's bed is the most comfortable one here." Claire said.

With room assignments given, the gang could relax for a little bit, well sort of. All they could think about was getting out of their dressy clothes and into something a little more comfortable. The guys did what was in their nature to do, and just ripped their shirts off with all the girls staring. They didn't care. With the shirts off, the tank tops were the only things covering the gorgeous muscles the girls knew lay hidden underneath.

The girls took a more lady like approach. They grabbed their stuff and each headed off to one of the bedrooms.

Destiny was about to try and unzip the back of her dress when she saw Matthew standing at the door.

"What are you staring at?" Des asked, wondering why Matthew had a weird look on his face.

"You." Matthew replied, admiring her beauty.

"Can you help me unzip this?" Des asked.

Matthew walked over to her, and as he unzipped the dress, he stared at her beautiful, bare skin. It was even more beautiful than when he saw it for the first time, almost 9 months ago. He leaned down and kissed her neck. As he kissed her, she lifted her arm around his head, feeling every muscle as her hand glided back down his body to meet his around her waist. All she wanted was to see the muscles hiding under the tank top, so she turned around so their eyes would meet. That look was all it took for the tank to come off. Once it was off, Des ran her hand down his body, feeling every bulging muscle underneath her palm. Destiny returned the favor by removing her dress. Matthew's face lit up as his eyes scanned her entire body. Her glowing skin looked radiant, and her huge belly only made her look more stunning to him. The two gazed into each other's eyes, gradually moving closer until their lips met. Moments later, they were on the bed, in each other's arms, lips locked.

Matthew pressed his forehead to Destiny's, whispering I love you as his hand grazed her body, stopping on her stomach. He slid down on the bed, so his face met up with her belly. With one hand already on her belly, he kissed it and said I love you to his unborn child. Him and Des continued talking to their baby as they both put on their sleepwear.

When they left the bedroom, all the couples had the guilty look on their face like they had just been doing the exact same thing. Claire and Mac were the only two to admit to it in any way. He was still topless, and she was wearing a silk robe. Dani and Nate were also slightly obvious because Dani had Nate's tie around her neck and she had on one of his sweatshirts.

Finally, Mac broke the ice, "So…is that bed as comfy as Claire says it is?" The group laughed and the awkward moment was officially over, leaving more time for all out fun.

The guitars and mics came out for Guitar Hero, and the popcorn and soda started flying out of the kitchen. When they weren't playing video games, they were watching movies. By the time they were ready for bed, the apartment was trashed. Soda cups and couch cushions were everywhere, and all the DVD's and video games covered the floor.

Mac was the first to go to bed. He kissed Claire goodnight and left for her room. Nate left after him. As the others stayed in the living room, Matthew wanted to talk to Claire and Dani.

With his arms around Destiny, he said, "I want to thank you guys for helping me out with tonight."

"It was the least we could do." Claire said.

"Yeah, we just wanted to see you and Des happy together." Dani added.

"It wasn't the least you could do. Both of you could have said no, especially after how I've treated you. I haven't exactly been the best friend lately. For that I want to say I'm sorry, and I'm glad you guys could find it in your heart to give me another chance." Matthew said.

Des added, "You guys are the best friends a girl could ask for. I can't thank you enough for giving me my Matthew back."

The girls hugged Matt and Des goodnight, and left to be with the men they loved.

Destiny started yawning, so she decided to go to bed. Matthew soon followed. As the two laid in bed, face to face, Matthew said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you know I will always be there for you." Des said.

"I've been saying I love you all night, now I want to know, do _you_ love _me_?"

Des pressed her forehead against his, kissed him, and replied, "I've always loved you…and I always will."

Des turned over and allowed Matthew to wrap his arms around her, leaving his hand on her stomach. As they fell asleep, they both felt the baby kick. From that moment on, Matthew and Destiny knew nothing could tear their family apart.


End file.
